The disinfection of pathogenic microbes in oral cavity is a means to treat dental infection. Generally, the dental infection includes periapical abscess, pericoronitis, periodontal abscess, periodontitis, pulpitis and caries, and may include the infection syndromes of oral and maxillofacial area.
The treatment of dental infection can use physical methods to scrape off tartar, plaque, and lesions, and/or use antibiotics or sodium hypochlorite aqueous to inhibit pathogenic microbes. However, the methods require a long course of treatment, causing damage to the normal gum tissue, and may have bacterial drug-resistance. Therefore, a safe and convenient method should be developed.
The present disclosure is described in relation to a photodynamic therapy (PDT) method. The PDT is a novel method for treating the dental infection. Bacteria accumulated in tooth surface, periodontal capsular, or dental pulp can be disinfected via the activated photosensitizers by a light illumination of the PDT. The PDT method shows several advantages. For example, the PDT method can disinfect the bacteria completely and reduce the treatment time by full oral cavity illumination. The method can disinfect against Gram positive bacteria, Porphyromonas gumis, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and decrease the injury of alveolar bone by endotoxin from Gram negative bacteria. In addition, the PDT method can increase the success rate of treatment and reduce health care costs.
Features and advantages of the subject matter hereof will become more apparent in light of the following detailed descriptions of exemplary embodiments, as illustrated in the accompanying figures. As will be realized, the subject matter disclosed and claimed is capable of modifications in various respects, all without departing from the scope of the claims. Accordingly, the drawings and the description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive in relation to the full scope of the subject matter as set forth in the claims.